March 2013

March 08, 2013

In the Bible, we find multiple examples of men and women who occupied various offices and functions for God's people. They received their calls for ministry or service from God, often through the community of believers, and it can also be said that God is the one who qualified them for their ministry. Appointments were confirmed or symbolized in various ways, and not all of them were by means of a laying on of hands. This raises the question as to whether ordination to ministry is the only required mode to install someone into an office or function and to give authority to that person to perform that function.

Old Testament Examples

In the Old Testament, there appears to be only two instances of “ordination” to an office. The Levites were ordained to the priesthood by a ceremony of laying on of hands and prayer done by Moses and representatives of the people (Num 8:5-26). As the divinely chosen successor of Moses, Joshua was installed as the next leader of the people of Israel by a service of prayer and laying on of hands (Num 27:12-23; Deut 34:9).

At the invitation of the General Conference, the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary is also engaged in discussions about the meaning of ministry and ordination in our church.

This is a doctrine that has long been neglected and much confusion exists. A number of seminary professors are serving on various church committees to look into this and are making substantial contributions in their writing and speaking engagements. Already a few essays on this topic have been posted on this blog:

In the next few weeks we will post essays on other aspects of this discussion. Some essays will address the biblical issues surrounding the meaning of ministry, ordination and women in ministry; others will deal with relevant historical and theological issues. We hope this will provide helpful insights for all those who are interested in this discussion.